Poverty in the U.S. — The Poorest Towns in Every State

Chewelah, Washington

Chewelah

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Median Household Income: $31,858
Poverty Rate: 20%
Population: 2,601
Median Home Value: $136,200

Chewelah, which is located about 45 miles northwest of Spokane, actually had a 19.1% increase in population between the 2000 census and the 2010 census. However, the average resident of Chewelah earns less than half of the state’s average, which is $66,174. Just 16.9% of residents have a bachelor’s degree.

The town’s name comes from a Kalispel word, sč̓ewíleʔ, which means ‘gartersnake’ or ‘watersnake.’ A lot of people seem to have a problem pronouncing the name correctly. The correct pronunciation of Chewelah is “Cha-WEE-la.”

Written by Camille Moore

Camille has a master's degree from Saint Joseph University's Writing Studies program, and she currently works as the Writing Center Assistant Director at a small university in western Pennsylvania. Camille's writing has been published on several websites, and she enjoys writing articles and short stories in her spare time. You can follow Camille on Twitter @CamealAshley.